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Black Cats Are Being Abandoned Because They “Take Bad Selfies”

This pickiness is growing into a serious issue

By Justyne Yuen-Lee

On average, black kitties take longer to be adopted.

We’ve covered the sad circumstance of Black Dog Syndrome – the fact that a lot of people prefer any other colored fur to a black dog. This bias has inspired shelters to create backstories and train black furred pups to do special tricks in order to improve their chances of adoption.

It seems black cats are having the same problems. Unfortunately, black cats already have a bad rep for being symbols of bad luck. The cards are stacked against them, but in reality, black kitties are no different than the other kitten in the litter.

With the right skills – your black cat can be the best selfie taker ever!

The issue today is, in addition to the color bias, people are abandoning black cats because “they don’t show well” in selfies.

The RSPCA said that it sees more black and black/white cats come into its care than any other color of kitty. Also, it takes about 10 days longer to re-home these kitties compared to a ginger one.

It’s such a big issue that The Moggery founder, Christine Bayka, has offered free neutering for black or black/white cats to limit the number of unwanted kittens. In the last 20 years, according to Bayka, the situation has grown more serious.

Bayka has people call and request a cat saying, “any color except black.” Tabbies and greys, on the other hand, are re-homed on the first day. People even want designer kittens and make requests for cats to have “pointy noses.” All 40 of the cats that have been at The Moggery the longest are black – one being at the center for 14 years.

When people on Twitter found out that others abandon their black cat because of “bad selfies”, those with black cats started posting their photogenic black kitties as defense!

To combat discrimination, The BBC offered tips to take the perfect selfies with black cats:

Arm yourself with suitable cat treats

Choose a minimal background

Find a spot with soft lighting

Get down to cat level (this may involve laying down on the ground for a long time)

Focus on your cat’s eyes

Remember, when adding a new fur friend to your family, it is always important to know that the ones in shelter just need some love and care. Their fur color makes no difference to the companionship they give you – it shouldn’t matter if they look good on social media!